The German government has told Saudi Arabia it will not be receiving the military tanks it had been promised.

Germanys Bild newspaper on Sunday said the German government had decided to block the sale of 800 tanks following opposition from Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a member of the Social Democratic Party, and other leftist party members.

Gabriel is known to have spoken out about the deal in past speeches, where he has invoked the question of human rights in Saudi Arabia.

Members of the UK parliament have been concerned about the tank sales since Saudi troops invaded Bahrain to assist the Al Khalifa regime in its crackdown on peaceful protesters.

The Saudi government has come in for regular criticism from international rights groups for its lack of adherence to human rights laws.

Human rights group Amnesty International has often censured Saudi authorities for not addressing the human rights situation in the kingdom.

Riyadh had budgeted nearly US$25 billion for the Leopard Two tanks.